As you can tell from the tables and figures above, the City will be capitalizing on approximately $57.369 million dollars of a $74.199 million expenditure budget. The financing of this year's capital additions is a combination of grants and loans. The remaining $16.830 million is used for operational expenditures, of which approximately $3.097 million is used for employee-related expenses.
Of significance in the proposed budget are the following:
The budget is balanced and it contains an excess of revenues across all the funds;
Ad valorem taxes are calculated using last year's levied millage times the preliminary tax base totals reported by the Sumter County Property Appraiser;
There are no proposed budget transfers between any funds for the upcoming fiscal year;
A Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for payroll equal to 2.8% of payroll for all employees of the City of Bushnell. This is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of October 2025 as indicated by the updated personnel policy;
Specified raises are being proposed for employees of the City who are expected to receive or have received licenses, certificates, degrees, or are being promoted;
Standard capital equipment purchases throughout all funds consist of a new folding machine for customer service, two mid-sized pickup trucks, a new backhoe shared between multiple departments, one replacement zero turn mower, a new grapple truck, a new tandem axle trailer, a field maintenance machine, and necessary IT equipment;
Three road improvement projects consisting of asphalt overlays and new construction are proposed for FY2026-27 along with multiple sidewalk repairs;
Application for the next Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) Grant cycle is being proposed for new additions to the Bushnell Community Center, the Kenny Dixon Sports Complex and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park;
Applications are being made to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for multiple grants and low-interest loans to be used for capital improvements in the Water and Wastewater Funds. These grants and loans will